If you’ve recently used Amazon Web Services (AWS) and found yourself in a situation where you needed to close your account, you might have encountered a surprise charge in your billing console. It’s a common situation for users who sign up for the AWS Free Tier, especially after the 12-month free period expires. Here’s a guide on what to do if you see unexpected charges after closing your account and what you can do to avoid unnecessary stress.
Unexpected Charges After Closing Your AWS Account
So, you’ve been using AWS’s Free Tier, and as your 12-month period came to an end, you decided to close your account. Maybe the services were starting to feel a bit too expensive, or perhaps you realized that AWS’s pricing didn’t fit within your budget. After stopping your instance, you removed the public IP address, and you proceeded to close your account. You thought everything was taken care of.
The next day, you check your AWS billing console, and to your surprise, there’s a charge for an idle public IP address. In this case, the charge was for about 3 hours of “non-usage,” even though your account was supposed to be inactive. It’s an understandable concern, especially since AWS requires a valid payment method to open an account. You might be worried that they could charge you for anything, and that’s a valid point.
Why You’re Being Charged for Idle Public IPs
In 2024, Amazon made a change in how they charge for public IP addresses, even for Free Tier users. AWS now charges for idle IPv4 addresses, but there’s a catch. For Free Tier customers, you’re allowed 750 hours of free usage per month. If you’re still within this 750-hour limit, you shouldn’t be charged extra, and the charges you see are likely due to the time your IP address was idle before you fully deactivated your services.
You might also notice a preliminary bill that shows a charge for those idle IP hours. But don’t worry—this is normal. If you’re within the Free Tier’s 750-hour allowance (which, in this case, was only 282 hours used), the charges will be automatically adjusted to reflect zero, as long as you stay within the Free Tier limits.
How AWS Will Handle It: Auto-Correction of Charges
Here’s the good news: You don’t have to do anything. The charge you see is just a preliminary bill, and once AWS processes everything by the end of the month, your account will be finalized, and the charge will be removed automatically, as long as you’re within the Free Tier limits.
To be extra sure, I opened a support ticket with AWS, and they confirmed that this is the standard procedure. Once the 750 hours are accounted for, and the account is closed, the billing system will correct itself, and no extra charges will be incurred. The AWS billing system is designed to make this adjustment automatically, so there’s no need to reach out to AWS support unless you notice any discrepancies.
Final Takeaways: No Need to Panic
If you’re closing your AWS account and notice a charge, don’t panic. As long as you’re within your Free Tier limits, the system will auto-correct itself. You don’t have to worry about being charged for anything unexpected.
This experience serves as a reminder to always double-check the billing console after stopping services and closing accounts to avoid unnecessary concerns. I opened a support case just to confirm the process and save you the hassle of doing the same.
By the end of the month, everything should be sorted, and you won’t have to worry about AWS charging you for idle resources. Enjoy the peace of mind that comes with knowing AWS handles these situations automatically!